For years, methods for optimizing title tags were the main element of organic search optimization. They helped Google match search queries with web pages and were the most important part of snippets on the results page, with the query shown in bold.
Titles remain important for SEO. A lot has changed, but little has stayed the same.
Screenshot from old Google SERPs showing results for the search "tag heuer“.
Google put the search query in bold text in the title tags.
What is a title tag?
The title tag is an HTML element that should describe the purpose of the page so that people and search engines can quickly understand what it is about. It is also displayed as the tab name in the browser.
Screenshot of a web browser showing four tabs with their names.
Google slowly reduced the importance of title tags for rankings.
- Titles no longer show the search query in bold in the snippet.
- Exact-match keywords are less important, as Google often uses synonyms and related terms when understanding search intent.
- Google often rewrites titles in the search snippet.
Take a look at the screenshot below for the search query "Clifton Park hiking trails."
Google interprets the query and provides results for Saratoga Springs, near Clifton Park. In addition, Google suggests an alternative activity ("running" instead of hiking) and a synonym ("walking").
A few years ago, a web page had to contain the exact query in the title tag to rank. That is no longer necessary.
Screenshot of Google search results for "Clifton Park hiking trails."
Google can recognize search intent and replace results with synonyms or similar options. In this example, the query is "Clifton Park walking trails." The results include a nearby city and a comparable activity.
How to Optimize Title Tags
Despite the changes, title tags remain an important element because they help Google understand the page better.
Using titles from Google is not so clear-cut.
Instead of matching the search query with the words in the titles, Google can now understand the meaning of both the query and the title to match search intent.
Keep titles short and do not include too many keywords. Google stated in one of its posts that it will change the title if it is too long or over-optimized (i.e. stuffed with keywords).
So compose the title as follows:
- Keep them short. Google does not say how much is too much, but a title longer than 65 characters will appear truncated in desktop search. So keeping titles shorter is a good idea.
- Do not stuff keywords. Add keywords to the title if it makes sense, which often it does. Do not include variations - such as plural and singular forms, or changes in order - that were once standard SEO practice.
- Avoid repetitive and templated text. Large e-commerce sites driven by information cores generate automated titles. Make sure the words in those titles are informative ("iPhone 11 case 12.99+ BGN") and not repetitive ("Cheap phone case | Cheap phone case").
Place the title tag at the beginning of the content. When searchers click on a search result, Google wants them to see the exact text on the next page. So use the title tag prominently on the page to reassure searchers that they are in the right place and reduce the bounce rate.
Use H1 to highlight important information.
- Google always renders the page title,
- Searchers' engagement on the page will improve.
People, not algorithms
Google will do what is best for searchers. Truly useful titles discourage Google from changing them. Optimize for people, not algorithms. That is the rule nowadays when it comes to SEO.
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